1. Field:
The present disclosure relates generally to placing structures in a design for the interior of an aircraft or other platform. Still more particularly, the present disclosure relates to a system and method for identifying relevant prior engineering designs for the placement of such structures and providing feedback to designers for the placement of structures using such prior designs.
2. Background:
Designing an aircraft or other platform may include placing various structures in a design for the aircraft or other platform. For example, designing a commercial passenger aircraft or other aircraft may include placing various structures in a design for a passenger cabin or other area on the interior of the aircraft. The various structures that may be placed at various locations in the design for the interior of the aircraft may be referred to as monuments or commodities. For example, without limitation, such structures may include lavatories, galleys, closets, bar units, seats, walls, dividers, partitions, and other structures or combinations of structures.
A designer may use a computer-implemented design tool to indicate the desired placement for various structures in a design for the interior of an aircraft or other platform. In order for an aircraft or other platform having such a design to be manufactured, the placement of each structure in the design for the interior of the aircraft or other platform is converted into a detailed engineering design. For example, such an engineering design may specify structural, mechanical, electrical, heating, air circulation, water supply, waste water drainage, or various other components, connections, or combinations of components and connections for implementing the desired placement of the structure in the design for the interior of the aircraft or other platform. The creation of such an engineering design may be relatively time-consuming. For example, each placement of a galley in the design for the interior of an aircraft may require up to 1,000 hours or more of engineering time to design the flooring structure to support the galley and the electrical wiring, plumbing, and other components and connections for implementing the galley at the placement specified in the design.
Therefore, the placement of structures in a design for the interior of an aircraft or other platform may present a number of technical problems that may require many hours of engineering time to solve. A detailed engineering design for the placement of a structure in the interior of an aircraft or other platform may need to be created. This detailed engineering design then may be used to implement the design for the interior of the aircraft or other platform during manufacturing of the aircraft or other platform. However, current systems and methods for designing aircraft and other platforms do not provide for the use of such engineering designs for the initial placement of structures in the design for the interior of the aircraft or other platform.
The illustrative embodiments provide a technical solution to the problem of generating engineering designs for the placements of structures in a design for the interior of an aircraft or other platform. In accordance with an illustrative embodiment, completed engineering designs for the placements of various structures in designs for the interior of an aircraft or other platform may be stored in a database of completed engineering designs. A design configuration tool may be configured to provide feedback to a designer during the placement of structures in a new design for the interior of an aircraft or other structure using the information stored in the engineering design database. Such feedback may allow the designer to select the placement of structures in the design for the interior of an aircraft or other platform in a manner that may reduce the engineering time and cost for implementing the design.
Accordingly, it would be beneficial to have a method and apparatus that takes into account one or more of the issues discussed above, as well as possibly other issues.